piloted

Piloted is the past participle of pilot, used as an adjective to describe a vehicle or mission that is operated by a human pilot rather than by an automated system. In aviation and other forms of transport, a piloted craft requires a licensed operator in control, including takeoff, navigation, and landing.

The term contrasts with unmanned, autonomous, or remotely piloted systems. In contemporary usage, many aircraft, ships, and spacecraft are described as piloted when a human actively commands them, while unmanned variants operate without a person on board.

Historically, piloted craft dominated aviation and spaceflight for many decades. As technology advanced, many roles moved to unmanned systems, though piloted space missions and manned aircraft remain common in military and civilian use. Submarines and ships also have piloted and unmanned versions; in spaceflight, crewed missions have provided manned operation, while numerous probes and satellites are unmanned.

Related terms include pilot, piloting, autopilot, and unmanned or autonomous. See also: manned mission, crewed spacecraft, remotely piloted vehicle.